In New Zealand, an ad bearing the slogan “Same Power, Different Attitude,” includes a depiction of Pope Benedict XVI blessing a gay couple. The ad is all the more bizarre -- no, grotesque! -- for being part of a marketing campaign for Powershop, an energy supplier.

Explains a company spokesperson, “this latest version of Powershop’s long-running campaign is intended to be both thought provoking and satirical. [New Zealanders] have widely debated the issue of marriage equality over the last year, so we’ve used the issue to point out that large institutions can sometimes lose touch with their modern constituents.” (Evidently, losing touch with their traditional constituents isn’t seen as a problem.)

He goes on to say, “We also believe it’s the responsibility of anybody in a position of power to consider whether their exercise of that power is bringing a greater or lesser happiness to the world.” In a country that is host to over half a million Catholics, Powershop seems to have overlooked that consideration.

We await Powershop’s “thought provoking” campaign to depict Muhammad in a similar satirical light. I predict that we’ll be waiting a long time.